Category: Travel

I visited: Santa Cruz Island in Channel Islands National Park, off the coast of California. This island, along with the other Channel Islands, was home to the Chumash people for hundreds or possibly thousands of years. They enjoyed an apparently thriving civilization until the arrival of European colonizers in the 1500s. This NPS history is… Continue reading Channel Islands National Park

I visited: Joshua Tree National Park in southern California. According to NPS, the area's early occupants included "the Pinto Culture, followed by American Indians including the Serrano, the Chemehuevi, and the Cahuilla." This was my 14th National Park. Fortynine Palms Oasis In March I traveled with Gregg and Steve to Los Angeles for our friend… Continue reading Joshua Tree National Park

I visited: Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky. There's evidence of human exploration in the cave dating back thousands of years (!). More recently, according to the NPS website, the land within the National Park is associated with seven modern Indigenous nations. This was my 13th National Park. River Styx Spring On the way back… Continue reading Mammoth Cave National Park

I visited: Gateway Arch National Park in St. Louis, an area many people groups have inhabited over the centuries, including the ancient Cahokia settlement and the Illini Confederacy.* I had visited once before it was established as a National Park, so I'm calling this my 12th NP. Until this year my perception of National Parks… Continue reading Gateway Arch National Park

I visited: Badlands National Park in South Dakota. Like most National Parks, the history of land ownership is complicated and fraught, and this is especially true at Badlands. The legal specifics confuse me, but presently the South Unit of Badlands is "held in trust" for the Oglala Sioux Tribe. Badlands Wilderness overlook I haven't seen… Continue reading Badlands National Park

I visited: Wind Cave National Park in South Dakota. The park contains Wind Cave, one of the longest caves in the world and a site that is sacred to many Indigenous groups. Last year I visited the WCNP with Steve, but we were unable to enter the cave because of COVID-19 restrictions. This year Becca… Continue reading Wind Cave National Park

I visited: Devil's Tower National Monument. It's located in northeast Wyoming and is sacred to many Indigenous groups. Devil's Tower, known to some as Bear Lodge, was the second major stop in my road trip with Becca. It's become one of my favorite places in the country. I visited it for the first time last… Continue reading Devil’s Tower

I visited: Rocky Mountain National Park, an area originally inhabited by the Ute and Arapaho people, among others. This was my 11th National Park. Forest Canyon overlook My friend Becca invited me to join her on a road trip headed west, and the trip wound up providing an adventurous celebration for the end of my… Continue reading Rocky Mountain National Park

I visited: Cuyahoga Valley National Park. It was originally inhabited from about 1000-1600 by a people group known named (awkwardly enough, in the resources I'm checking, after the archeologist who studied them) the Whittlesey. This was my 10th National Park. The Ledges Trail Steve and I traveled to Ohio for the wedding of two good… Continue reading Cuyahoga Valley National Park

I visited: Hot Springs National Park. Its original inhabitants were the Caddo, among others. This was my 9th National Park. The Display Spring Once or twice a year I road trip from Chicago to visit family in Houston, often driving through Memphis just past Hot Springs, but I've never made time to stop by. This… Continue reading Hot Springs National Park